Oil feeding and storing system.



PATENTED OCT. 2'7, 1903.

No. 742,334.I

R. G. KIRKW.(l0-"BA OIL PBEDING AND STOJBLINlGr.- SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED. FEE. I9,... 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

OIL FEEDING AND STORING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,334, dated October 27, 1903.

' Application mea February 19,1992. seran No. 94,793. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom iv' may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. KIRKWooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at 23 Alpha Terrace, Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil Feeding and Storing Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of vreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an air-tight oil-supply system for storing and feeding {iuid fuel to a burner or furnace.

The object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic system of transferring oil from one tank to another tank or reservoir under air-tight conditions and feeding the oil from the storage-reservoir to the furnace as desired; to provide means for relieving the excess of pressure in the storage-tank, and thus eliminate the dangers arising from the same; to provide means for regulating and controlling the flow of oil to the storage-tank and indicate the quantity of oil in said tank, and to otherwise improve Huid-fuel systems of this character in details which will be described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, Figure l is a view showing my improved storing and feeding system in full. Fig. 2 is a broken detail view in section of the automatic mechanism for controlling the iiow of oil to the storage-tank. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the gear connections to the sprocket-Wheel ofthe regulating mechanism of Fig. 2.

A represents an oil-supply tank, which may be an oil-tank railroad-car or other suitable source of oil-supply and may be located above or below the storage-tank B, which is an oil receptacle or storage vessel, preferably situated under or in the ground for safety and convenience and at a suitable distance from the burner or furnace C, which furnace is to be supplied with oil as fuel from the storage-'- tank.

The tanks A and B are connected by suitable detachable hose B and inlet-pipe D when it is desired to fill the storage vessel from tank A. The pipe D in practical use extends within a few inches of the bottom of the storage vessel B.

E indicates an air-compressor, which may be driven by gas-engine L when the boiler is not steaming, but using steam from the boiler when the boiler is steaming. Said compressor Eis provided with a pipe E', which enters the top of the storage-tank B. A pipe E,

having a cock E3, extends upwardly from said air-pipe E and is connected by suitable detachable air hose and coupling to an inlet in the top of tank A. y

When the burners are in operation and it is desired to fill tank B from supply-tank A, the valves E3, A,E4, and B are opened. Oil falls by gravity into tank B from tank A,

through hose B and inlet-'pipe D, the airpressure being the same in both tanks and connecting-pipes. Pipe D enters the tank B and discharges the oil near the bottom of said tank. As the oil flows through pipe D to the bottom of tank B air above the oil in said tank will pass vto the supply-tank and occupy the space left vacant by the exit of oil from supply-tank to the reservoir.

A pipe F is entered into the top of tank B and is provided with a relief-valve f, which valve is set at apredetermined pressure, and as the pressure of air or gas generated in the open space near the top of the storage-tank increases above the point to which the valve is set the valve opens automatically and allows the air, mixed with inflammable gas, to pass to the furnace to be consumed or passes o through the smoke-stack should the burners not be in operation.

To regulate and indicate the amount of oil in storage-tank B, I provide a mechanism shown at G, Fig. 1, which consists of a oat G', attached to one end of a sprocket-chain, which chain runs over a sprocket-wheel G", free to rotate on shaft g, which shaft is suitably journaled in a casing G in an air-tight manner. A balancing-Weight G3, constituting a valve member, is hung to the other end of said sprocket-chain and adapted to it into a valve-seat D', formed at the bottom of inlet-pipe D. With the rise of oil in said stor- IOO age-tank float G rises and weight or valve member Gr3 falls, and should the oil rise to the predetermined height in the storage vessel the weight or cut-0E valve member falls to the bottom of the inlet-pipe and rests in valveseat D', thus automatically shutting off the ilow of oil from the supply-tank to the storage-tank. The shaft g of sprocket-wheel G' is provided with a pinion g', which pinion engages spur-gear g2, running loosely on a stud g3, journaled in suitable bearings in the casing G. Shaft g is provided with an appropriate packing-nut g4 for insuring an air-tight joint around said shaft at its entrance into the gear-casing G. A needle is provided on end of said gear g", and as the said gear ro-y tates through the medium of the sprocketchain, sprocket-wheel, and connected pinion the needle or pointer will indicate upon a suitable dial the quantity of oil in the storagetank, as is usual.

The above-described mechanism is inclosed by a suitable air-tight casing, consisting of the gear-box G, ha ving two leg portions which are suitably connected in an air-tight manner to the storage-tank and open into the same. The lower part of one of said leg portions constitutes an inletpipeD,whioh is connected by hose B to the tank A.

To feed oil to the burners H from storagetank B, the oil in tank B being under pressure from the air-compressor E and valves B and E3 closed, oil is forced through pipe I, which is entered into'the top of tank B and extends to near the bottom thereof, up through said pipe, through cock I', which is openthence to a suitable heater I", where the oil is heated by exhaust steam or gas before pass, ing to the burners, and thence to the burners. The burners H consist of three pipes connected to oil-pipe I, which enter the furnace proper and are provided with cocks, as usual, A steam-pi pe K extends from the steam-space of the boiler and connects, as at K', to each of said three pipes, thus furnishing steam to atomize the oil as it is fed to the furnace. When the steam is up, the gas-engine L,which drives the compressor E, may be stopped,and said compressor driven by belt from the main steam-supply, if desired. The gas-engine is to be used only when there is no steaming.

By means of the above-described system I am enabled to store the oil and regulate and indicate the quantity of storage, and as the entire system is practically air-tight I provide eticient means and outlet for excess of air or gas pressure generated in the storage-tank by feeding said excess to the furnace to be consumed, or if the burners are not operating I allow the excess to go off through the smoke-stack by means of the automatic relief-valve f, thus eliminating all dangers of overcharging and overpressure.

As another means for atomizing the oil as it is fed to the burners I connect the reliefpipe F near the furnace with the steam-pipe K, and by shutting olf steam at Valve f2 and opening Valve]c3 I may utilize air or gas pressure from the space in the upper portion of tank B to spray oil entering the furnace from burners K. v

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Anair-tightfluid-fuel-regulatingdevice, a storage-reservoir and inlet-pipe thereto, a oat at one end and a suitable weight atthe other end of a suspended and rotating mech anism, said weight inclosed within the inletpipe and forminga valve member adapted to fit a valve-seat in said inlet-pipe, and by the' rise and fall of said float through the movement of said suspended and rotating mechanism to close and open the valve in said inlet-pipe to the storage-reservoir, all combined substantially as described.

2. In an air-tight fluid-regulating device, a storage-tank and an inlet-pipe thereto, a float resting in the fluid at one end of a sprocketchain, a weight forming a valve member attached to the other end of said chain, said chain suspended to rotate over a suitable wheel, said wheel having proper support in the inclosing air-tight casing, and gears operated by the rotation of said wheel to indicate the quantity of uid in the storage-tank by means of a suitable needle and dial, whereby the Weight, through the rising-and-falling movement of the doat closes and opens the inlet to said storage-tank, all combined substantially' as described. l

3. An air-tight fluid-regulating device consisting of a storage vessel, two upright pipes' connected at the top by an air-tight gear-casing, said pipes opening into said storage vessel, one of said upright pipes constituting the inlet-pipe from a suitable source of supply and having a valve-seat at its lower end, combined with a sprocket chain and wheel, said chain having a weight at one end and a float at the other end, whereby, with the rise and fall of said float the Weight or valve member opens and closes the valve at the end of the inlet-pipe, all combined substantially as described.

- In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT G. KIRKWOOD.

/Vitnesses:

CHAs. K. DAvIEs, E. H. PARKINS.

ICO

IIO 

